Lady Shenton Hotel

Named after the world famous Lady Shenton mine, Leslie Robert Menzie and John McDonald registered a claim on two leases totaling 41 acres on 1st October 1894. The first lease became the bountiful Lady Shenton mine, named after the wife of the financer Sir George Shenton, president of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. Such was the confidence abounding in Menzies that at one stage there were 13 hotels along Shenton Street, the Lady Shenton Hotel being one of them. As the greatest of the Menzies mines, the Lady Shenton was a cash cow for its investors. By 1903 it had yeilded 132,000 onces of gold, with over 150,000 pounds in dividends being paid out. But things were soon to sour. The once abundant riches started to dissipate. Mines could no longer operate profitably and one by one they closed. In 1910 mining at Menzies had all but ceased. The town was saved from total abandonment by the railway and its importance to the rapidly developing pastoral industry.

The Lady Shenton Hotel eventually closed its doors and is currently owned by the Shire of Menzies. In December 2007, the beautifully restored building re-opened and is now home to the Shire of Menzies' Community Development activities. These include: a Visitor Information Centre, Public Library, Community Resource Centre, Post Office Agency and Conference facilities.